In August 2006, KIST relocated to its current campus at Shirakawa in Koto-ku. The site—formerly owned by the Koto-ku government—was purchased by the school founders as part of their dream to expand the school’s facilities and services. Prior to KIST’s relocation, the site was occupied by the former Shirakawa Elementary School which operated from 1950 until its closure and amalgamation with Meiji Elementary School in 2002.
There are currently three buildings on campus: Main Building for the Secondary School, West Building for the Elementary School, and a separate gymnasium. The 3-storied Main Building and gymnasium were part of the original elementary school. Before moving in, in order to meet strict regulations governing school facilities, these buildings were inspected for earthquake resistance and the presence of asbestos, and were renovated extensively. The 4-storied West Building was opened in August 2009 as part of the school’s redevelopment project.
Learning spaces
Main Building contains air-conditioned general purpose classrooms; science laboratories for biology, chemistry and physics; a visual arts room; and a technology laboratory equipped with laptop computers for full class use. It also houses the Library Media Center (LMC)—upgraded and expanded in August 2011—which includes a spacious casual reading area, an independent study area and quiet rooms for DP students.
West Building contains air-conditioned general classrooms for Elementary students; single subject classrooms for art, music and Japanese; a multipurpose room; and the Elementary Library. The music room for Secondary students is also currently located in this building.
The gymnasium (598 m2) is used for PE classes, school assemblies, stage performances, staff meetings and parent gatherings, and also as a venue for inter-school sporting tournaments.
Outdoor play spaces include the main school playground (1,551 m2) used by both Elementary and Secondary students, featuring a large area covered with high quality artificial turf, and an adjacent bitumen basketball court. A separate ECE playground for K1 to K3 students, also covered with artificial turf, features climbing equipment and areas for conducting outdoor learning activities.
Future expansion
Further redevelopment is scheduled for the near future, with plans for a new multistoried complex for the Secondary School incorporating an increased number of general and subject-specific classrooms and laboratories, a Library Media Center (LMC), a gymnasium featuring a full-sized basketball court, a performance hall for over 400 guests, and a rooftop cafeteria and adjacent futsal court. The main school office and health office will also be located in this building. For easy access to the performance hall and instrument practice spaces, both the Elementary and Secondary music rooms will also relocate to the new building.
Through a special arrangement with Nakamura Junior & Senior Girls’ High School, a Japanese private school located within walking distance from KIST, classes for Grade 6 through 8 will be held at Nakamura during the period of construction. Use of the gymnasium and athletics facilities at Nakamura may also be possible for other grades.
Although construction was expected to commence in mid-2020, this has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A revised construction schedule for the project will be announced at a later date.
During the almost two-year period of construction, most of the current playing field will be unusable, and student play space will be restricted to the gymnasium and multipurpose room. The ECE playground, however, will not be affected. Following completion of construction and demolition of the old school building, the playing field will be renewed with a different orientation that will cover a slightly larger area than the current field. There are also expected to be various unavoidable challenges caused by the noise of construction and other inconveniences such as having to travel for sports off campus; however, we are excited about the many possibilities the new building will bring. We ask for the understanding and cooperation of the school community during the period of construction.
